


Riddle of the Sphynx

by SparkyFrootloops



Series: Connected Souls [5]
Category: Soul Eater, モブサイコ100 | Mob Psycho 100
Genre: Bonding, Dad!Reigen, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, dad!Serizawa, reigen is a good dad, serizawa is a good dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25395667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkyFrootloops/pseuds/SparkyFrootloops
Summary: A look into the lives of Ritsu and Shigeo and their relationship with their adoptive fathers in different stages of the boys' lives
Relationships: Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo & Reigen Arataka, Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo & Serizawa Katsuya, Kageyama Ritsu & Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo, Kageyama Ritsu & Reigen Arataka, Kageyama Ritsu & Serizawa Katsuya
Series: Connected Souls [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1429630
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	Riddle of the Sphynx

~~As a Child~~

Breakfast was Reigen’s favorite time of day. He had to make sure his children were at the very least awake, up and brushing their teeth with sleepy eyes barely open. He’d probably have to worry about them getting cavities soon if he didn’t watch them, barely able to move the brush up and down with how tired they were. Hopefully they’d do a better job brushing before bed later.

“You two were up talking last night, weren’t you?” Reigen put a hand on his hip, getting a sudden flash of his mother in the same position. Hmm, probably not the best thing for him to be turning into _her_ with his own children. 

Ritsu and Shigeo gave him a sheepish smile full of toothpaste fizz and a mumbled apology. Reigen rolled his eyes. He couldn’t blame the twerps, they were young and still trying to open up to Serizawa and Reigen. For now, they really only felt comfortable talking to each other. 

Reigen let them rinse their mouths and put the toothbrushes away before mussing their already messy sleepy heads and directing them to the kitchen. 

“Come on, you two gotta try and wake up before your lessons today. And before you ask, Ritsu, _no,_ you cannot have coffee.”

Reigen heard a small thump while he dug around for a cooking pan, looking behind him to see a grumbly Ritsu with his head dramatically laying on the table. “If you keep doing that, you’re going to get a headache.”

Shigeo, who was just as tired, leaned up against his brother with his eyes closed. Reigen couldn’t help but smile, wishing he had a camera so that he could keep this moment forever. Right now, the kids were small and cute. He’d miss days like this when they were a little older and full of teenage sass.

While Reigen worked to make breakfast, occasionally looking back to make sure the sleepy kiddos didn’t fall out of their chairs, Serizawa came in and sat next to them. He yawned, reaching out to ruffle the hair of the two boys who could only blink at him. 

“Are we having a nap party?” Serizawa asked with a sleepy smile.

Shigeo hummed, “Reigen woke us up, said we had lessons today.”

Serizawa nodded knowingly, “You do, that’s true. You’re gonna learn a lot today, I think.”

“What are we learning today?” Ritsu asked. His head was still on the table, but he’d turned so that he was facing Serizawa and his cheek was pressed against the table. Serizawa had to suppress a laugh because like this, with his hair fluffed up from bed head, he looked like a chia pet.

Serizawa coughed into his hand to hide his smile. “Well I know we had some plans for math, but-”

He didn’t get to finish before the two boys were groaning.

“I’m not very good at math.” Shigeo admitted, looking like he’d been given horrible news that he was going to have to mow the lawn with a pair of scissors.

“It won’t be too bad.” Reigen cut in, placing a plate of eggs in front of Ritsu to poke at his head. Ritsu rose high enough to plant his cheek firmly in his palm so he could shove the eggs in his mouth. Shigeo received his plate next, then Serizawa, then finally Reigen sat down with his own plate. “It won’t be like public schools, I can promise you that. I never liked the way they taught, anyway, so I figured why bother with them? Two smart kiddos like yourselves and two smart adults like me and Serizawa? We can tackle this school thing right from home.”

That seemed to brighten the boys’ spirits, at least. They were getting used to the Meister/Weapon training that Reigen and Serizawa provided, able to recognize that it was something catered to their needs specifically. Reigen was proud that they were growing trust for their caretakers. Reigen had been worried that with everything the boys had been through, they would have trouble trusting. He was glad that his worries seemed to be unfounded.

After a few bites of his egg, Ritsu got up and started heading for the kitchen. 

“You ok? Need any help?” Reigen asked.

“I’m, I was just going to make myself some toast.”

Before Reigen could offer the small boy some help in reaching the bread, or even the toaster, Serizawa spoke up. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I finished the bread yesterday. I forgot to say anything…”

Ritsu and Shigeo exchanged a look before Shigeo raised his hand, “Ritsu and I could get it for you.”

Reigen and Serizawa gave each other a look, unsure how to proceed. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust the boys, it was that they didn’t trust _the world_. It was a harsh existence for Meister’s and Weapon’s, they were targeted more so than the civilians around them. 

“Well, it is about to rain,” Serizawa said. “Mind if I tag along?”

“You could,” Ritsu conceded, “But Shigeo and I wanted to go by ourselves. To help out.”

“Oh. Of course.” Serizawa nodded, “But I could be quiet, you know. Just there for rain support, hmm? After all, I _am_ an umbrella, too.”

Sometimes, Reigen had to admire his partner's quick wit. There weren’t a lot of people who got to see it, and for that Reigen always felt special to see it in action. People always thought Reigen was the one with the fastest words, but Serizawa could hold his own even against Reigen’s silver tongue.

As was expected, the kids agreed after some small deliberation after Ritsu sat back in his seat.

“I guess that doesn’t count… if you’re not carrying anything.” Ritsu reasoned, unaware of the silent sighs of relief from the older ones at the table. 

Reigen pointed to the still full plates of food. “Ok, but no one is going anywhere before they finish their breakfast, minus the toast.”

Within moments, the egg was scarfed down, and the kids were off to get dressed for their errand. 

“Makes you wonder.” Serizawa said, drawing Reigen’s attention with his quiet words. “If they had time for their First Errand before … everything.”

Reigen poked at his food, lips pressed together in a tight line. “There’s a lot we don’t know about their lives before they came to live with us. They don’t talk about it themselves, and I’m not going to be the one to bring it up, but. You’re right. It makes you wonder: What did they miss out on, with their parents gone so soon?”

Serizawa took in a deep breath and released it in a shaky sigh, “The best we can do is give them what they need now.” He ate the last bite of his eggs and pushed his chair back, off to get ready himself to accompany the boys.

(~)

Ritsu bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited to cross the street. One hand was holding Shigeo’s, the other held tightly around Serizawa’s umbrella handle. He looked left, he looked right, with Shigeo doing the same. They took the safety lessons they’d been taught _very_ seriously, and Serizawa was glad to see how carefully they checked each street crossing before going across. Even on the walk signs, the boys didn’t move until they’d checked thoroughly for any cars coming their way. 

When they got to the store, there was a brief argument over where the bread was located, but it was settled within moments when Ritsu pointed smartly at the hanging aisle signs that told where the bread was. Throughout all of this, Serizawa kept dutifully quiet, keeping his promise to allow this to be _their_ errand, not his. 

He was impressed by how they handled themselves, counting out the change that the teller asked for in exact numbers, both counting together to make sure that they got it right. Even in something as mundane as this errand, his boys moved in tandem, two parts of a whole. They worked together, as a Meister and Weapon should, looking out for each other and making up for any shortcomings the other may have with their own strengths. It was very encouraging to watch.

At one point, Shigeo looked a little haggard, the walk clearly too much for him, and Ritsu didn’t hesitate even a second to offer to carry Shigeo back. It didn’t matter that he would be left holding Serizawa and Shigeo and the bread all alone through the rain that had started. He saw what had to be done and did it, quietly without complaint. 

By the time that the group arrived back home, Serizawa was practically glowing with pride over his boys. He needn’t have worried, he thinks. He knows that no matter what, Shigeo and Ritsu would look after each other.

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

years later

~~As a Teen~~

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

“I can’t believe that Reigen has us doing his shopping _right before_ we’re supposed to have dinner.” Ritsu picks up a can of tomato sauce, and then a can of tomato paste, trying to figure out which one Reigen wanted. He showed them to Shigeo who chose the paste, though it was clear neither of them were sure about it. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s just trying to buy time to finish,” Shigeo said, “You know he procrastinates. He probably just woke up from a nap and realized he didn’t have enough time to cook so he sent us on this errand to give him time.”

Ritsu huffed. It sounded like something his foster father would do. Certainly Reigen couldn’t just _say_ he needed more time, he had to be elaborate and make up a whole extra trip for Ritsu and Shigeo. He didn’t mind, not really. He enjoyed grocery shopping; how you could be simultaneously around everyone and still be pretty much alone. He liked listening to random snippets of conversations and imagining responses to arguments he overheard. All of this was something that Ritsu liked about grocery shopping, but not today. It had been _months_ since Ritsu and Shigeo had enrolled in the academy, forced to live in an apartment by themselves so they could attend.

Ritsu missed home. He missed the familiar smells, the quiet chatter that always seemed to be present because Reigen was always talking. He missed the way Serizawa would hum as he worked in the garden, and how he would always invite Ritsu to help plant new flowers in the spring. He wanted to sit on the couch during family movie night, pressed between his brother and his teachers and pretend that he didn’t like it one bit when in reality it was his favorite activity. 

City life was so _lonely_. Most of the time Ritsu didn’t have any spare time to think about it, but it was still something so ever-present that he was excited to finally be where he knew he was wanted and loved. 

Ritsu picked up the last of the items on the grocery list and headed back to the front of the store to check out. On his way, something caught his eye. Marshmallows, the kind that Reigen always put in their cocoa on rough nights. He stared at it for a moment, a memory from long ago flooding his mind. 

“Hey Shigeo, remember when Reigen and Serizawa would make us hot cocoa?”

Shigeo came over and peered over his brother’s shoulder to see the marshmallows. A soft smile warmed his face, sad and nostalgic. “Yeah. Those were the best days, even if it was usually because you were crying.”

“Me? I didn’t cry.”

Shigeo snorted, ruffling his brother’s hair, “Sure, Ritsu.”

Ritsu huffed, but he couldn’t really argue. He remembered the nights he would spend crying with worry over his brother or with grief over his parents. No matter what time of day or night, he could always count on Serizawa and Reigen to be there for him with a comforting word and warm arms to wrap around him. 

“Yeah, well… maybe.” Ritsu put the marshmallows in the cart and pushed it towards the entrance. “Let’s check out already so we can go home.”

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

years later

~~As an Adult~~

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

Ritsu and Shigeo are adults now, graduates of the academy and now working on their own just as their adoptive fathers did before their retirement. They were tired, going to visit Reigen and Serizawa after a mission they had in the area. 

“Do you think we should call first?” Shigeo asked, trudging beside his little brother with his eyes half-lidded in exhaustion.

“And ruin the surprise? Nah.” Ritsu shouldered his bag, the contents of which held Reigen and Serizawa’s favorite dish, cooked from scratch. He wanted to show his guardians how far he and Shigeo had come, and what better way to show that than with food. 

“Ritsu?” 

So much for surprise, there was Serizawa at the street corner, a bag of groceries in one hand and the other shielding his eyes from the light of the street lamps. His face was more wrinkled than Ritsu remembered, but it was a face he’d missed more than he realized. 

Serizawa smiled like he’d found the greatest treasure in the world as he ran to his sons and wrapped them in a hug, one in each arm. Ritsu and Shigeo both clung to him, breathing in the familiar scent that was one of their fathers’. 

Without pulling away even a little, Serizawa asked, “What are you two doing here? I thought you were halfway around the world.”

“We finished that mission early.” Shigeo said, sounding happy to be back in welcoming arms. “We wanted to come home.”

Serizawa laughed, watery with happy tears. “Of course of course, I’m so glad you’re here. And your partners?”

“They’re both back at a hotel, they didn’t want to intrude.” 

“Intrude?” Serizawa pulled away long enough to ruffle the boys’ hair, astonished by how he had to almost reach at eye level to do so. When had they gotten so tall? “They’re family, aren’t they? They’re welcome, just like you are.”

Ritsu felt immeasurably warm. How open and inviting Serizawa and Reigen were. He knew that had circumstances allowed, they probably would have adopted Ritsu and Shigeo’s partners’, too, but neither Shigeo’s Meister nor Ritsu’s Weapon had wanted that. They’d appreciate the feeling of home, though, so Ritsu nodded. “I’ll invite them over, but I won’t have enough food for them.”

Serizawa laughed, holding up his groceries, “It’s a good thing we’re stocked up, then. You think 10 pork cutlets will be enough?”

Ritsu had to laugh. When they were younger, Reigen and Serizawa had needed to adjust to feeding a larger family with more groceries. It seemed like they hadn’t adjusted back once Shigeo and Ritsu left. “That’s perfect. Shigeo’s partner eats like a horse.”

“Maybe we should buy more…” Shigeo said.

Just then, a wet plop fell upon his nose, drawing his attention upwards. 

“I didn’t think it would rain till later, I didn’t bring an umbrella with me.” Ritsu frowned at the sky, holding up a hand to feel the drops falling. 

“I can take care of that.” Serizawa said. Not waiting for an answer, he changed into his weapon form in a flash of brilliant light, the rain stopping immediately. 

“Thank you, Serizawa,” Shigeo gave a little bow of gratitude. When they were younger, they didn’t understand how big of a deal it was that Serizawa would offer himself as an umbrella. It wasn’t until later when they learned about his past, how he was treated as nothing more than an object, a resource, that they realized how much Serizawa had to care for his children in order to offer himself like this. 

Even later, they would realize that Serizawa never saw it that way to begin with. Not with them. He was protecting his boys, shielding them from the cold harshness of the world. If he was able to do that, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Not then, not now, not ever. 

Shigeo picked up the groceries that Serizawa had left on the floor, holding the umbrella’s handle with Ritsu. Together, the three walked home, to the home that they had made with each other, awaiting the family that they had chosen for themselves.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I worked real hard just for you.


End file.
